| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: The present study attempts to reintegrate the tournaments - generally considered as cultural and social events - into their political context and restore their political importance. It consists of an overview of the tournaments taking place with the participation of the Luxembourg sovereigns, John the Blind, king of Bohemia (1296-1346) and his sons, emperor Charles IV (1316-1378) and Wenceslas, duke of Luxembourg and Brabant (1337-1383). Only a few tournaments were organized by John the Blind in the Kingdom of Bohemia, although this king and count of Luxembourg was famous for his art of jousts. Not only was he jousting for pleasure, but also the tournaments were excellent opportunities to establish and confirm relations to his feudatory and allies in Western Europe - the king was showing his generosity in order to gain vassals. Also, his participation at the tournaments in France as well as the tournament given by John himself in Cambrai were an expression of his adhesion to the French policy and a clear political demonstration of the alliance between France and the emperor Henry VII´s children. The tournaments can also serve crusade purposes, especially to proclaim it and to get participants. His son Charles´s attitude to the tournaments was influenced by his chevaleresque education and the example of his father, usually described by the French-writing chroniclers as a perfect knight. Nevertheless, when he became the king of Romans and emperor, Charles changed his aproach. The image of the perfect knight and the the organization of the tournaments ceased to be the essential part of his image and rule, being replaced bny the emperor´s majesty, tradition and sacraments. |
